1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for operating a network computer wherein the computer has reconfigurable hardware which can be connected to the network and which, accordingly, is dynamically structurable via the network.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Network computers are known which receive programs from a server. Such network computers, such as those offered by Sun Microsystems, are those which are situated at the user. Generally, such a network computer includes a monitor, a keyboard, a CPU, a memory and an interface for the access to a network. A central computer is not only responsible for the data administration, as given client and/or server, but also responsible for the applications. The required program parts are loaded and conducted via the network for starting an application at the network computer in order to process data; for example, to carry out word processing. Further required program parts are automatically reloaded. All data is centrally stored. One advantage is the small administrative expenditure at the user workstation (see publications of the company Sun Microsystems with the title “JavaStation—An Overview” 1996, retrievable under http://www.sun.com/javastation/whitepapers/javastation).
These network computers are supported by networks such as intranets or internet. The hardware architecture of such a network computer is fixed. Further connections of computers via networks are standard; given workstations, for example. One can gain access to data of other computers via the network (Ethernet, for example) or individual program parts. What is referred to as tasks or complete programs can be started by remote control on other computers and can be calculated.
The present invention is, therefore, based on the object of providing a method for the operation of a network computer that can be structured.